Doctor Who Ficlet: To Zombie Or Not To Zombie?

[bk_forever]

Title: To Zombie Or Not To Zombie?

Fandom: Doctor Who

Author: badly_knitted

Characters: Ten, Donna

Rating: G

Spoilers: None.

Summary: The Doctor encounters something he’s never come across before. Donna is surprisingly unimpressed.

Word Count: 468

Written For: juliet316’s prompt ‘Doctor Who, author's choice, Zombies!’ at fic_promptly.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Doctor Who, or the characters. They belong to the BBC.

"I though you said zombies don't exist," Donna somehow found the breath to scream at the Doctor as they ran for their lives, pursued by the slavering horde. She was quite convinced they were intent on eating her brains.

“They don’t,” the Doctor panted out beside her. “They’re not zombies.”

“Could’ve fooled me, sunshine.”

“Just because they look like zombies and act like zombies, it doesn’t mean they are zombies,” the Doctor insisted. “You humans with your primitive ideas, always branding things you don’t understand with the names of monsters from your folklore.”

“If they’re not zombies then what the hell are they?”

“Haven’t got a clue, isn’t that fantastic? Never come across anything like them before. Do you have any idea how often that happens? Never!” The Doctor threw Donna one of his most manic grins and she glared at him. She would have liked to slap him silly for being happy about their current situation, but she was a bit busy trying to keep ahead of the monsters pursuing them. In the distance she could see the familiar, reassuring shape of the TARDIS and she tried to urge a little more speed out of her tiring legs. Travelling with the Doctor was better for her overall fitness levels than the gym had ever been. It should be prescribed on the National Health.

“If you don’t know what they are, then how do you know they’re not zombies?” Donna gasped. The TARDIS was only a couple of hundred metres away now.

The Doctor looked at her as if she was stupid. “Because zombies don’t exist,” he explained as patiently as he could, given how out of breath they both were by now.

Oh yes, she was so going to hit him once they reached safety.

Fetching up against the side of the TARDIS with a resounding thud, the Doctor shoved the door open, herded Donna through in front of him (at least he was being a gentleman), dived through behind her and slammed the door shut, leaning back against it and puffing like a bellows.

“Well, that was invigorating, wasn’t it?” He beamed at her and she slapped him. Hard.

He blinked at her in surprise. “What was that for?”

“Bringing me to a planet inhabited by freakin’ zombies, that’s what, Spaceman! Now how about gettin’ us out of here?”

“I keep telling you; they’re not zombies! Anyway, where’s your sense of adventure?”

“I left it in my other coat.”

“You don’t have another coat. I’d have noticed!”

“Oh, like you noticed the zombies?”

“They’re not zombies!”

“I don’t care!”

With a wheezing, groaning noise, the TARDIS dematerialised, leaving a horde of confused looking zombies milling around.

One turned to the zombie next to it, puzzled. “What the hell just happened?”

Distantly, a voice called out, “Cut!”

The End

Comments

[mb2u]

::snicker::

[bk_forever]

Thank you! Glad you liked it =)

[mamaduck46.livejournal.com]

::snort::

[bk_forever]

*grins* Thank you!

[akawho.livejournal.com]

::guffaw::

[bk_forever]

*grins* Thank you!

[shivver13.livejournal.com]

Laughed out loud at this, and enjoyed it so much I told the story to my husband. :)

[bk_forever]

*grins* Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it! Hope your husband did too =)

[black59.livejournal.com]

LOL
is that it means that the Tardis was filmed ??????

[bk_forever]

Yup! Unless it ca somehow shield itself from cameras, which I guess is possible. Either way, the film people certainly got some good footage, lol!

Thank you!

[owensheart.livejournal.com]

Hahaha oh i like Donna u write her so well. I could hear voice in my head saying thise lines.

[bk_forever]

*grins* Thank you! I wasn't sure that I'd be able to write Donna at first, but I think I've just about got it.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Nice one.:)

Its not often the Doctor is out of the loop of whats really going on. Although its so typical for him to be oblivious to Donnas feelings of distress in situations like this.

It reminds me of that scene in The Runaway Bride where she questioned him on whether he was "enjoying this"?.

[bk_forever]

I think the Doctor enjoys everything, it's all an adventure to him. It never occurs to him that others might not be as enthusiastic.

He's not all-knowing or all-seeing, he makes mistakes and doesn't always know what's going on, which is half the fun for a viewer. The Doctor is figuring things out as we watch.

Thank you!

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Since us viewers know the Doctors motives, we can disregard his "insensitive" behavior. Unlike the people who meet him at face value.

Thats why he was banished by Queen Victoria and told off by Agatha Christie. Even the champions find him wierd at first.

Being excited over discovering something new is the first place the Doctors mind goes to. Then danger.

Funny that they were actually not in danger. Probably not so much from poor Donnas perspective.

I like to think this is what happened offscreen.:)

[bk_forever]

Yeah, perfectly safe despite appearances. Can't blame them for running, and I don't blame Donna for being pissed off with the Doctor. Honestly, sometimes he gets so interested in mysteries that he overlooks the danger until it's almost to late. Like a lot of very smart people, once the Doctor's brain is engaged it's hard to get him to focus on other things.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

He has to be physically pulled or slapped to focus. He also has a tendency to get distracted by "pretty" things like in "The Stolen Earth". Donna had to tell him: "Don't get all Spaceman. What does it mean?!".

I could imagine Donna insist he take her to "The Planet Of The Hats", just to make up for it.

I saw a program about a man who could remember every word and definition of a encyclopedia off by heart but couldn't button up his own shirt.

[bk_forever]

That's often the way of it with people who have very high IQs, it's the normal things that cause problems.

Yeah, Donna would love the planet of hats!

The Doctor has a grasshopper mind.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

My dad has a rare mental health condition so I'm familiar with chemical imbalances of the human brain. He was born with it.

We never saw Donna wear a hat. The closet to head gear we saw was her hoodie in "Planet Of The Ood". But her lovely hair would be at risk of getting flaten if she wore an actual hat.

The champions have to choose between keeping up with him or forcing him to slow down.

I was just channel surfing today and caught that cafe scene in "The End Of Time". Ten is so lost without Donna.:(

[bk_forever]

That has to be hard for your dad.

She'd probably still enjoy trying them on. Or the planet of shoes!

Getting the Doctor to slow down would be a hard task. I think most people just try to keep up.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

You know my issues with my dad. Lets just say he should not have gotten married and had kids. He can't even look after himself. I blame his side of the family for not acknowledging it. My mum would not had married him. It was a match making thing from the parents.

Planet of shoes!. Now that would have been a great place to go.

When I say slow down the Doctor, I meant when it comes to explaining things. Rory once asked Eleven to give more details. He will otherwise follow what the Doctor says or does when he receives back an incentive.

I remember Rory running off with the Doctor and leaving poor heavily pregnant Amy behind in "Amys Choice". He was hesitant though because his also over protected of her.

[bk_forever]

Ah, I misunderstood. Yes, you either have to go "Hang on, I don't understand, can you explain that?" or shrug and think, 'The Doctor must know what he's talking about even if I can't understand him, so I'll just go along with it.'

I'm not girly so shoes are just foot protection, but I know a lot of people who would find shoe-world paradise!

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Amy had to pull Eleven to run.

Donna had to push or pull Ten.

Martha had to verbally tell Ten to run.

The bottom line is the Doctor can show them the wonders of the universe but they have to look out for his safety or point out something he isn't aware of.

I'm not a girly girl myself. The last and only time I wore high heels was at my high school formal. I get excited over other good quality shoes like boots or sport ones. You can't run in high heels.

There are always better quality cargo or track pants in the guys section of a retail store.

[bk_forever]

I don't get excited over shoes. As long as they're comfy and I can walk in them, that's enough. I don't run, arthritis in too many places these days.

Sometimes the Doctor is the one to make his companions run. It works both ways. Nine grabbed Rose and told her to run after all. I suppose it depends on where the Doctor's head is at.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

I need good foot wear just in case I'm late for class or an appointment. Sometimes I just wait for the next bus. I use to be a good runner when I was younger. I even made cross country but due to health problems, mainly from anxiety, stress and being accident prone, my stamina is not the way it use to be. I wouldn't make a good champion, what with all the running.

If the Doctor is not baffled by something, (Ten and Eleven did this)then he is the one that takes the lead. Although Twelve doesn't care either way.

Kill The Moon.

Twelve: When I say run, run!.

Lundvik: Who made you boss?.

Twelve: You say run, then!.

[bk_forever]

I do love that about Twelve!

Anxiety issues are a pain, I've had problems for over 30 years.

I've never been a great runner, I'm knock-kneed, but was always better cross country or on grass than on a track. I have no stamina or energy these days anyway because of health issues. I don't go out much, even walking means I'm in pain for days afterwards.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Twelve doesn't expect people just to fall in line with him. Its probably due to what happen to him in "Midnight" as Ten.

A Town Called Mercy

Eleven: Frightened people. Give me a Dalek any day.

God Complex

Rita: Why is it up to you to save us? That’s quite a god complex you have.

I like the continuity of the Doctors character growth.

I wasn't able to fully comprehend my anxiety, let alone explain it to others. Some people probably thought I was lazy or unmotivated. Once I seeked help, things became a lot clearer to me.

They say exercise is a good way of relieving stress. Going for a walk to clear my head helps. But if I over do it. I end up recuperating the next day.

[bk_forever]

Exercise in moderation is fine for most people but too much does more harm than good.

I like that the Doctor is always changing and evolving, it's what keeps the show so fresh.

When you're as old and as intelligent as the Doctor is. taking charge in any situation is probably automatic. He's the oldest and most experienced person there so he assumes it's up to him to take charge. Other people don't see it that way, lol!

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

When you have specific health issues, its probably best to get a professional opinion on it.

No other show has done the concept of regenration. Everything is either rebooted or the mythology of the show is altered. That's what makes Doctor Who so unique.

Under The Lake

Twelve: Lunn, translate for me. {to Cass} Whenever I step outside, you are the smartest person in the room.

The Doctor is just trying to help but he sometimes can't explain it so eloquently. Open-minded people will just be curious, while others may get defensive because they think his putting them down or something.